Cinderella: The Dreamer With a Wooden Clog
by Lella Reincarnated
Summary: Cinderella is living the horribly average life before everything is turned upside down by a prince, an ugly shoe, and a large dose of magic coming from quite an unlikely source.
1. The Boring, The Plain, and The Simple

Cinderella: The Dreamer With a Wooden Clog

By: Lella

Once apon a time, in a magical place and time, there lived a beautiful young lady, and her name was Cinderella. She lived in a marvelous home, but she was no such of a princess or royal. And she was neither a slave or servant. She was simply average. Middle class. Normal. Her entire life was the basis of normality with a pinch of sugar and salt for contrast. Nothing happened to her. She did nothing out of the ordinary. And she yearned for everything.

Cinderella dreamed of a day when she could leave the ordinarily-exquisite home. She wanted to spread her arms, shape them into wings, climb the twirling stairs of her house to the very top, and jump off. Fly away. She wanted to soar with the pale white wings into the sunset of a warm September day, with her reddish-blonde hair tangling in the light breeze. She wanted the sunset to melt her freckles from her face, giving her a perfect complection that she had always dreamed of having. She yearned for the brilliant orange light to take her fears and petty life away with it while it waned over the earth into oblivion.

She was a dreamer.

She was a dreamer who was lost in a socially average place that hinted of former magic around her.

She wanted to be free.

Cinderella had spent the bulk of her seventeen years waiting for this day.

_I'm graduating from this horrid place. This horrid school. This average place that makes the mundainly unimportant seem like the Prince's gossip itself. I'm finally leaving!_ she thought. For the past fourteen years, she had spent seven hours per day, six days per week, at the Maperate School for Girls. She had learned everything a normal girl would need to know in society--cooking, cleaning, dancing, art, music, gardening, sewing, and a few magic spells that every housewife knew those days. And, now, it was finally time to leave.

She had always hated school. Cinderella was the type of person who, if given the choice, would hunt rather than sew, play polo rather than garden, and would spit in a man's eye if given the chance and reason to force it apon the unlucky fellow. She didn't like the constant nagging. The gossipy girls. The thought of being the perfect wife. It wasn't for her.

But, as she walked to the chairs in the middle of the Maperate School's lawn, she couldn't hold back her excitement. She rushed to the front of the two rows where her friend, Marie sat.

"Just think," Marie whispered, "We'll be out of this school for good by five o'clock!"

"I know!" Cinderella squealed with joy as she tried to sit in the chair with a lady-like posture that was only for show.

"It's scandalous!"

"That we're graduating from here?"

"Yes," Marie giggled, "It's scandalous to think that this ignorant school is allowing _us_ to graduate as ladies. For them to think that we're girls who want nothing more than to be a trophy wife with good manners and a thin waist. That they are _letting_ us leave."

Cinderella giggled and put her gloved finger to her lip as she thought. "This bloody school hasn't put up much of a fight, either. It seems hardly fair to Maperate."

"Indeed it does," Marie managed to whisper into Cinderella's ear before the school's headmistress stepped infront of the giggling girls.

"Talking again, are we?" she croaked in a voice that screamed of a life-long addiction to tobacco smoke.

Marie through a discrete glance at Cinderella before tipping her head and replying, "Ms. Chonpilion, we were simply discussing our future as ladies. You have always told us that beig a lady is a celebration unto itself, correct?"

Ms. Chonpilion paused before answering, "Very well then. At least I know now that you were listening during those lectures I recited over the years. Just mind your manners when others are preparing to speak. My nerves are at a climax, you know."

"Yes, Ms. Chonpilion. We will leave your nerves sure alone and remain simple and courtious girls, indeed," Cinderella almost laughed back.

Ms. Chonpilion turned away toward the podium resting beside the two rows of chairs. Cinderella looked out. Infront of them, it seemed as if row after endless row of seating had been filled by the family of the graduating girls.

_How can there be so many people for just the twelve of us?_

Searching through the first few rows, she finally saw her mother, grandfather, and grandmother sitting on the side. She caught her grandfathers attention and smiled in his direction. _To show that I am supposedly happy for spending fourteen years in this nightmarishly-boring school._

He smiled back before turning back to his gray-haired wife for more conversation.

"Excuse me!" Ms. Chonpilion called out to the murmuring crowd. Slowly, the chatter died down into a low fuss before finally ending with a small hush. All faces centered on the headmistress, and Cinderella almost swore that she could see her hands flutter with her nerves and sweat drip down from her hairline.

_She practically dying up there. One false word, and she'll have to start all over._

"Here at Maperate, we pride ourselves in teaching any kind of girl how to become," and here she paused, "simply a lady. We put them through classes that teach the essence of quiet work so that they can have the finest of husbands one day. They are taught manners, and I'm sure that you have noticed how much these fine girls have improved over the past few years. They are now seen and not heard, and know perfect manners of simple magic."

_Get on with it before I make you!_

"I present to you, "and with only one crack in her croaking voice, "The ladies of Maperate."

Here, the entire crowd rose out of their white seats and clapped their hands in an explosion for the twelve girls. Ms. Chonpilion handed a diploma to each girl as the clapping died down before running off to take a swag of whiskey. _Nerves, nerves. _Cinderella thought as Ms. Chonpilion wringed her hands and ran to the school. Then, she stood from her seat to meet with her family.

Later that night, before heading off to bed, Cinderella softly stepped into the parlour of her house for a glass of hot tea. When she lit a candle with one of the various spells that she had mastered, she caught glimpse of her grandfather sitting at the table.

"Grandfather, now what on God's great Earth are you doing here?" she gasped, temporarily losing her manners. She set the candle on the table and covered her mouth to show her sorry.

"Oh," he sighed, removing her hand from her mouth. "I was just waiting for you."

"How'd you know I was coming?" Cinderella asked.

Her grandfather smiled before taking a sip of cold coffee. "Because you come down here every night to get tea. I'm not ignorant of what goes on in this household."

_Actually, you are._

"Actually, I'm not." he smiled.

"Don't do that!" Cinderella fussed, "It's rude to read others' thoughts without permission! Use your magic for good."

He laughed, set his coffee down to the wooden table, and smiled again. "That school taught you your manners where it counts, but you didn't like it, did you?"

"What, the school?"

"The school. The teachers. The classes. Everything. You hated it, didn't you?" he asked.

_Of course I hated it!_

"No," she lied, "it taught me the simple things in life that I needed to know."

"You didn't answer me, Cindy," he said stearnly.

"What? Well, I..." she trailed off.

"You?" he asked, leading her to finish the statement.

"Oh!" she cried while throwing her hands up into the air. "Of course I hated that bloody school! I thought I was going to kill myself, save for once per week days off!"

"That's what I thought," he mumbled while taking another cold sip of coffee.

"Well, if you knew something, why didn't you do anything about it?! If you knew that I hated Maperate, why did you pay so much for me to go?" she cried out while tumbling over her words.

"I don't know..."

_You don't know. You have to be kidding me._

"I suppose that I'm getting old... Not to mention that it's past ten o'clock. You should get to bed."

Cinderella couldn't with hold her furry anymore. She stood up, knocking over the wooken chair, and whisper-yelled, "But, you didn't answer _me_!"

"Goodnight, Cindy," he said as he walked away, leaving Cinderella in the kitchen with the fallen chair.

She kicked the chair before heading to her own room for a mad-night's sleep.


	2. Errands

**Chapter Two: Errands**

**(As a note, some of the following characters _are_ derived from some classic books, but please don't buy too much into it. I won't continue their influence very much at all, because I like to keep my stories fairly original. I'm just uncreative and creative at the same time--it's a snowday, I'm bored, it's allowed. Whatever, though. Thank you for reviews and reading!) **

**-Lella**

"Cinderella, dear," Cinderella's mother started the next morning over a hearty breakfast of fried eggs, toast, and raspberry tea.

"Yes?" she erged her mother on.

"I have a list of things that I need to pick up. You know, little errands. And, I was wondering--"

"Mother, why not send Amelia?" she asked. _I mean, we have a maid for a reason._

Her mother sat up in her chair and put her fork down in slight frustration. "Please, don't interupt me." She paused before continuing to show that her daughter had gotten out of line. "Amelia is currently busy cleaning the house for your graduation party later today."

_Oh, kill me. I don't even want that party. I love presents, don't get me wrong, but I can't stand all of that attention and hugging from people I've barely even met._

Cinderella nibbled her toast that she had smothered in grape jelly before looking up at her mother. "What kind of errands are these?"

"Oh, simple ones," her mother laughed in such a fake voice, "We need a new table cloth, some fresh vegetables, and I need you drop off some knitting to Mrs. Dubose down the street. See, nothing too bad."

"Mother, you know how I can't stand that woman. Mrs. Dubose is always lecturing me, and she always finds _something_ to nag me about. I'll do the rest, but, please don't make me even go near that woman's house!" she pleaded. Errands didn't bother her all that much, but it was that wicked lady down the street that made her face turn red in anger. She couldn't stand to even walk by that dark red-brick house in fear and anger that Mrs. Dubose would show herself.

"Cindy, I can't believe that you would say that about such an old and respectful lady! She is a family friend, and she has been nothing but kind to us."

"Maybe she's been kind to you, but certainly not I," Cinderella mumbled.

Her mother sighed and took a sip of her steaming raspberry tea. "Maybe sending you to her will teach you a lesson in manners. Already a day out of school and you're acting like this. I can't believe your grandfather wasted the money."

"Oh, I'll do it. I won't like it, but I'll deliver the knitting to her. If I don't come back, call the army to get me out of her lectures that she'll surely throw my way." Cinderella stood up out of her seat, picked up her dishes, then quickly walked out of the kitchen.

"You're excused!" her mother called to her.

Cinderella placed her dishes into the over-sized maid sink before heading up to her room to fix her hair.

_You never know who you might meet._ she thought as she brushed through her curly hair. She placed the hair into a loose bun on the nape of her neck, then tied an olive green ribbon around it to hide the many pins that she had used. She turned around from her dresser, grabbed her purse and shoes, and biskly walked down the stairs and out of the house with the knitting and the errand list in hand.

_Let's see... Should I put Mrs. Dubose off until last, or should I just get it over with?_ she thought as she slowly walked down the street. It seemed to be too fine of a day to torture herself with Mrs. Dubose and the small errands. The sun was warming and shining, the painted daisies were blooming in full glory, and birds flew from tree to tree chirping away.

After much diliberating, Cinderella finally pushed herself up the sidewalk leading to Mrs. Dubose's house. _Lord, spare me from her._ She straightened her olive green skirts before lightly knocking on the front door. Holding her breath, she smiled as Mrs. Dubose's butler opened the door.

"And how may I be of service to you, miss?" he asked with little enthusiasm.

Cinderella exhaled and handed him the knitting. "It's for Mrs. Dubose... From Cinderella--"

"Who's at the door?" came a yell from inside of the house. The butler turned around to face Mrs. Dubose's usual frown.

"Miss Cinderella, ma'am," he replied, handing her the knitting.

"Cinderella?" she began, "That girl from down the street who used to pick my flowers from the front yard when she was little? I still haven't gotten that out of my system! Come here, Cinderella!"

_There is no way on earth that I will come to you!_ she thought as she stood there staring up at Mrs. Dubose's angry face.

"I..." she stammered, "I must be leaving!" Cinderella lifted her skirt and ran down the sidewalk and past the the house in seconds.

"Wait! Come back!" Mrs. Dubose yelled angrily as Cinderella ran out of sight into the busy town square.

She kept running through the crowds of people in the town until she stopped at the large fountains right in the center of the market place. She nearly fell to the edge of the fountains while trying to slow down and sit so that she could catch her breath. _Safe... For now, at least._

"Miss, be you alright?" a maid called as she passed by with a load of groceries.

Cinderella looked up with surprise and smiled half-heartedly, "I'm... I'm quite fine. I just had a start back there."

The maid took a few steps forward, "Just be sure that you don't fuss your dress 'n shoes. I'm sure they're nice ones, miss." With that, the maid walked away, and Cinderella tipped her head back and closed her eyes. _Inhale... Exhale... Inhale... Exhale... I shouldn't have worn my corset so tight today. I'm about to die!_ She opened her eyes to see the clear blue sky and the clouds float by in slow waves and wisps. The day was growing warmer, and she knew that she would need to run the rest of the errands quickly in order to not have a heat stroke.

Cinderella slowly sat up and looked down at the list her mother had written. _Eggs, tomatoes, two loaves of bread, black thread, yellow buttons, two bars of soap. Easy enough--I'll only have to travel to two shops._ She stood up, brushed off her skirt, and walked briskly towards the general store on the opposite side of the square.

The general store smelled of powder and medicine, making Cinderella's stomach flop. _I hate that._ she thought as she found her way to the counter of the store. A large woman with greying hair and an expensive (yet tacky) navy dress greeted her with unfriendly eyes.

"What'll it be ya?" she asked in a near masculine voice.

Cinderella looked down at her shoes as she whispered, "Black thread, yellow buttons, and two bars of soap, ma'am." She looked up once the large lady had went into the back of the store to find the items. Much to her surprise was a young man in her place. He gave her a smile while moving aside for the lady to place the items on the counter.

"That'll be 36 shiny pennies from ye," she said, eyeing up the young man beside her. "Don't stare, it'll make a fool of ya." She turned back to Cinderella had took the pennies that were held out for her. "Thank ye. 'N don't mind me son here, he's just a weak one fer pretty missus." She threw a hard glance his way as Cinderella left the general store quietly and swift as anything.

When she got back into the fresh air and the sunlight, she giggled to herself at the entrance of the shop. Things like that seemed to be happening more and more lately. _I'm still dreadfully average, though. There are many girls more beautiful than I, and many that aren't. I'm right in the middle, as always._ She thought about romance all the way to the vegetable and fresh foods stand a block from the general store. _Maybe romantics would make a dull life become exciting. I'd be like a princess._

Pressing on after she bought the food, she started walking out of the town square when something caught her eye. On the bulletin board where the city would place news, there was a sign.

Palace Now Hiring

Maids and Servants

for His Royal Highness

See Mrs. Ellie Robinson for Details.

"That's it!" she whispered excitedly to herself. "Brushing noses with royals could make any life seem like a fairy tale, rather than a tragic boredom." She ripped the sign off of the bulletin board, then nearly ran home to tell her grandfather her idea.


	3. A Touch of Magic

**Chapter 3: A Touch of Magic**

**(Thank you to everyone who's so much as glanced at the title--it's something. Hopefully, I'll add random chapters here and there to the story in a semi-timely manner. But, between play rehearsal, piano lessons, voice lessons, student council, key club, science club, and the like, I have a lot on my plate. Whatever, though. Enjoy, read, review. -Lella)**

Cinderella pushed Amelia aside as she ran up the walk to her house.

"Miss, what are you hurrying about?" she called out, not expecting an answer and quickly forgiving Cinderella's rudeness to get indoors.

She ran up the wooden stairs and into her room where she shut the door behind her. Plopping on her feather bed, she read the ad over and over agian. _What a great idea!_

(Two hours later.)

"What a horrible idea!" her mother shouted from across the kitchen table. "Why on God's great Earth would you want to be a maid? And much less for the royals! I just knew that your father and I did something wrong when we were raising you! Maybe we should have sent you to boarding school instead of that nearby one! How could we have been so ignorant? Now you're corrupted, and it's all my fault. I can't believe this..."

Her mother paced around the entrance of the kitchen, throwing her hands into the air with each new thought that suddenly found its way to her mouth. Cinderella rolled her eyes and leaned back into the chair that she had knocked down the day before. Noticing a small chip on its edge, she rubbed her finger nail back and forth on it to ease her stress and the sharpness of the splintered wood. Her mother glanced her way in the middle of the rant and realized that Cinderella was paying little to no attention to her.

"Cinderella! Are you listening to me?!" her mother yelled while walking over to her.

Cinderella rolled her eyes agian before looking up at her mother (who seemed way to close for comfort). "Mother, I stoped listening to you once you reached the second word of that rant." She quickly stood up, brushed her mother aside, and walked to her room where she slammed the door. While leaning agaisnt the door, she closed her eyes, then opened them quickly when a she heard a mysterious tapping on the wood floor infront of her. Standing there was her grandfather.

"Gr...Grandfather? What are you doing here?" Cinderella asked in shock.

Her grandfather smiled, "I heard that conversation down there."

Cinderella sat on her bed and was followed by Grandfather. "I was pretty cruel, wasn't I?"

He patted her back before answering. "Everyone thinks that they are right when they have a big idea. Obviously, both you _and_ your mother thought she new what was right for you." 

"Yes, I know," she mumbled, "But it's my life."

"Well then, maybe you need to go live _your_ life."

Cinderella faced her grandfather and tipped her head to the side, "What do you mean?"

Her grandfather sighed in a slightly annoyed fashion before standing up and crossing to the other side of the bed. In the time it took him to snap his fingers, a magical current ran around him and transformed his average clothes to those fit for a king, changed his balding grey hair to a luminous (and full headed) white, and his wrinkles and laugh-lines dissapeared. Cinderella gasped as she looked at her grandfather...who now appeared thirty years younger and rich.

"What... what is...?" she stumbled over her words as she stood then fell back onto the bed. "Who... are you?!"

Her grandfather bowed and smiled, "Why, I'm your fairy godfather."

"You... what?"

"Your fairy godfather. You simply make a wish, and I will grant it with the power I have. Easy enough, if I do say so myself," he laughed kindly and took a folded wand out of his pocket. Unfolding it, he tapped it twice, and a spirt of magic leaped out like a sparkler.

"But, what happened to _my_ grandfather?!" Cinderella asked in almost panic. _This _can't_ be my grandfather! This man isn't even old enough to be my father! This is ridiculous! _ Cinderella suddenly paused in the middle of her thoughts. _But he _could_ grant my wish..._

"Yes, I could grant your wish--if only you would commit it to words."

"Don't do that! Play with someone else's head!" Cinderella half joked.

He smiled quickly and tapped his wand against her bed, transforming her quilt into a plush blanket stuffed with swan's feathers. It was fit for a queen in a second, and Cinderella couldn't help but stay seated as she thought of how to ask her wish. "You wish?" he asked to see if she would actually respond.

"Please! Give me a moment! I'm trying to fix my two wishes into one," she replied quietly, with her finger to her lips in thought.

"I _can_ grant more than one wish," he said.

Cinderella looked up with surprise, "Really?"

"Yes, of course!"

"Well then," Cinderella rose and blurted out without putting any of her thought into it, "I want my life to be exciting! I want to be a maid in the castle, working for royals! I don't want to be average or boring! I wish...that my life was how I've always wanted it to be."

Her fairy grandfather stepped forward and tapped his wand on her head.

"Ow!" Cinderella broke out in surprise rather than actual pain. She stood there, looking around her room for a minute, and realized that nothing had changed. "When is this magic of yours going to present itself to me?" she asked.

Her grandfather suddenly folded up the wand, snapped his fingers, and quickly appeared old and wrinkled again, "Sleep on it."

With that, he walked out of the room, leaving Cinderella standing with her mouth open in shock, surprise, and utter confussion.


	4. Change

**Chapter 4: Change**

**(So...while writing this chapter, I shall be watching the musical Chicago. I LOVE that musical so much--it's the best ever. So, if somehow this chapter has randomness associated with the musical, you know why. Though, I doubt that there will be anything that's actually noticable. Thus, enjoy!)**

Cinderella heard soft chirping and chatter when she awoke the next morning. Quiet, steady footsteps rushed by her bed, followed by a humid breeze that brushed against her face. She twisted over in the bed with her eyes squeezed shut. _Who's...in my room?_

A hand suddenly pulled the covers off of Cinderella and tapped her harshly on the arm. "Time to be gettin' up, missus," a rushed voice whispered.

"Who..." Cinderella mumbled. She suddenly opened her eyes to find something... rather odd.

She wasn't in her bed.

She wasn't in her room.

Infact, she wasn't even in her own house.

There she was, on a small bed, in the middle of a long and narrow room, with maids rushing around to get ready for their day's work. A few of the maids rushed around fixing things, some putting on too much makeup infront of a poorly lit mirror, and others were already running around and doing their chores. Cinderella sat up in a daze as everyone passed before her--she was in the palace. She was in the maid's section of the palace.

She looked up at the rough woman who had awoken her and tipped her head to the side, "Who are you?"

The woman sighed as she threw back her round head full of fuzzy blonde and gray hair, "Ellie Robinson. Mrs. Robinson to you, an' it's time for you to get out of bed--" Mrs. Robinson pulled her out of the bed and onto her feet, "--get dressed--" She tossed a maids' uniform over to Cinderella along with two matching ribbons for her hair, "--an' get to your maids' training. Which is in," she paused, "four minutes."

Cinderella, scatter-brained and confussed, pulled the silver uniform-dress over her head, braided her hair into the required two braids, and slid through the long and narrow room to find Mrs. Robinson.

"Mrs. Robinson! Mrs. Robinson!" Cinderella called out in a frenzy. "Mrs. Robinson! I haven't any shoes!"

Mrs. Robinson turned around and looked down at Cinderella's stocking feet, "Well, it would seem that yer right." She walked huskily to the dim mirror and pulled a pair of wooden shoes from underneath it. "Here, try these."

Cinderella placed the wooden clog-like shoes on her feet with a frown. "They don't really match the silver dress," she complained lightly.

Mrs. Robinson raised her eyebrow. "They don't?"

"No...?" she answered in half a question.

"Well," Mrs. Robinson chuckled, "You can paint them to match if you ever come across some paint."

"But, they don't fit well, either!" Cinderella defended. _These shoes are hideous, and I'm not going down without a fight! I _refuse_ to wear these!_

"The don't?" she questioned. "That's just too bad, then, because those are the only shoes on hand."

"What?" Cinderella whispered in shock. _I have never and will never put shoes like _these_ on my feet!_

"I'll pick up a bigger size that matches next time I go out," Mrs. Robinson smiled, "that is, if I remember."

With that, Mrs. Robinson tugged Cinderella's hand and started to briskly walk toward the end of the room where a small, wooden door stood, warped and damaged. She shoved the door open and walked right through into a similar room to that of the maid's room. Cinderella was pushed into a seat next to three other girls infront of a heavy-set woman with jet-black hair chopped short and straight. She stared with peircing eyes at Cinderella. _Obviously, tardiness will not be acceptable here._

The woman paced across the room, only a few feet from the four girls. She stopped infront of Cinderella and smiled. "And, just what is _your_ name?" she asked.

Cinderella choked on her words, "Cin...Cinderella, ma'am." She shrunk into her chair and swore that she would give anything to be able to melt into the floor.

"Cinderella. Well," she said as she walked away, "I'll remember that. If you're late again, I might just have to fire you." Cinderella clenched her jaw and looked down. "Now," the woman began, "I'm guessing that you all want to be royal maids. Am I correct?" She didn't wait for the girls to nod before continuing.

"I am Regina Kelly, and for the next two weeks, I will own you four girls. If I give a command, you follow. Leave no task undone if you're asked to do it. That is the first rule. You complete your chores and never question a thing. I don't care if you're told to commit murder! You are not to question authority. Any questions?" Nobody made so much as a breath's sound. "No?" Regina Kelly strolled across the room, quite pleased with herself.

"It would seem that you all are learning something. Good. Quick learners make good maids," she paused to finish her pacing infront of them before continuing, "and, Lord knows, you all will need to be the best maids in no time at all. Now... You will all be asigned to simple chores for the day--sweeping, scrubbing the floors, things like that. If you don't know where to find something, ask another maid. If you don't know how to do something, find a sleeping maid and make them teach you. And, now this is the most important rule, if a royal so much as speaks or glances at you, show the highest respect. Never call them by their names; Your Royal Highness shall do for that. Never look them in the eyes. And always bow to them."

Regina Kelly stared each of them in the eyes, and the girls quickly glanced down to their feet to escape. Cinderella analyzed her ugly clog-like shoes as Regina finished with her last statement.

"Now," she said, handing each of the girls a slip of paper, "Here are your chores. Complete them by dinner if you want any. Otherwise, you'll go to bed hungry."

Cinderella and the other girls quickly stood up while looking at the ground, and left to complete their tasks. And, as Cinderella walked out of the door to find out where the kitchen mop was, she swore that she heard one of the other girls crying--something that she would have to get used to.

**(I didn't really know how to end this chapter, but I had to make it shorter. I have a cramp in my hand that won't leave, and I may need to recieve medical advice--Lord help me. I'll post a new chapter as soon as my hand stops cramping so horribly. -Lella)**


	5. What's Your Name?

**Chapter 5: What's Your Name?**

**(As to those who have pondered this, no, I do not have spell checker. My computer is far too ancient to carry such a helpful and needed device within itself. Thus, what you see is what you get. I try my hardest and proof-read, but I still mess up now and then with spelling, forgetting words, etc. Forgiveness? Thanks. I'm going to go have some cheese cake now. -Lella)**

Cinderella ran up the stairs to the kitchen that was drawn and labeled on a withered map. She had found it underneath her bed along with some dust and ribbons, and decided that it must have been left there from the maid to have used the bed before her. At the top of the stairs, she found herself in a corridor with black and white, checkered, marble tiling the floors and stripes of gray paint on the walls. _This room is making me feel like I'll have a seisure!_ she thought as she walked briskly down the hallway.

At the end, she opened the black door and stepped through to reach the kitchen. The kitchen was a fantasticly designed labrynth of metal stoves, cookers, sinks, cutting boards, and many other machines that she couldn't even imagine their purpose. The map only told where the kitchen was--not how to navigate the city of cooking machines. She quickly ran up to the first person she saw.

"Sir!" she called to an older man cooking something delicious in a small skillet over the stove, "Sir, where is the mop?"

The man looked over at her, puzzled, before finally speaking, "Je ne parle pas anglaise. Stupide bonne! Apprenez Français!"

Cinderella took a step back with her hand rested on her chest and stared at the cook in shock. She quickly tried to spit out some French that she had learned in school. "Pardonnez! Pardonnez!" she said frantically as she turned to run away. She ran to a cook a few steps away and asked, "Do you speak English?"

"Was?"

She shook her head and ran down to the next chef who was preparing an omlette, no doubt for the royals. "Please," she begged, trying to catch her breath, "Say you speak English!"

The cook turned to her with caring eyes and a beautiful smile to match. He laughed quietly, "And what would you do if I said that I didn't?"

Cinderella angrily put her hands on her hips and frowned at him. He was handsome...too handsome. His longer blonde hair, perfectly tanned skin, beautiful smile and eyes, tall fesique. _No, he's too perfect for me._ He looked back down at the omlette and smiled again. Cinderella huffed and turned her head.

"Do they hire anyone here who speaks English?" she asked angrily, not expecting an answer. The cook put down the spatula that he had been holding and bowed in front of her.

"Yes, I believe that they do," he said.

"And just who are you?" Cinderella asked, loosing her patience with him.

The cook stood straight up and stared proding at the omlette once again with the spatula, "The name's Edward Hart, chef slightly-extraordinare."

Cinderella rolled her eyes, "Well, then. Mr. Hart, chef _slightly_-extraordinare, and probably very slightly, where on earth do you keep mops? I've been commanded to mop the corridor and the kitchen, sweep it before-hand, and wax the corridor after I'm done. Just where am I to find these things?"

Edward flipped the omlette onto a plate in a flash, then placed the plate onto a food elevator a few steps away. "To the dining room!" he called. The elevator started pulling up, and Edward walked back over to Cinderella and grabbed her by the wrist.

"Come now. I'll show you," he said as they quickly walked to the back of the kitchen. He opened a small closet and lit a rusted lantern hanging in the corner. He simply glanced over at the hooks with random items and found the mob and broom. He shifted his gaze towards the numerous rows of shelves on the other side of the closet and quickly found floor wax and two polishing rags.

Edward handed Cinderella the items and smiled that same smile again, "Here you are."

"Th...Thank you," she mumbled, grasping everything in her hands as quickly as possible. Something about him made her nervous.

"Is that all you need?" he asked. Cinderella nodded before turning to run away. She was almost out of the kitchen when he caught up to her and grabbed her wrist. "Wait!"

She turned around and released her wrist from his grasp, "Wh...what?" _I'm stuttering infront of him now. Blast it!_

He blushed and looked her in the eyes, "What's your name?"

"Cinderella."

"Cinderella?"

"Yes. Cinderella."

"Cinderella who?" he asked.

"Cinderella Austen."

"Well then," he chuckled, taking her hand. "I shall see you around, Cinderella Austen." He kissed her hand, then walked away, back to cook something on the opposite side of the kitchen.

Cinderella stood in shock by the door and fell backwards. The door swung open, and she swiftly fell onto her back in the corridor. The breath knocked out of her, and the door dashed back to it's place, seperating her from the kitchen. She lay sprawled out on the checkered floor for a few minutes, catching her breath. _What was that?_

She finally stood up to start her chores, and she cleaned like she had never cleaned before.


	6. This is the Wrong Room

**Chapter 6: These Shoes**

**(Short chapter. Whatever. I just need to get back into the groove of writing. I was out of town for a long time, so now I'm... readjusting, shall we say? Yes, indeed.)**

Cinderella kneeled over the dizzying black and white checker floor with a waxy rag swirling round in her hand. _Only three more squares, and I'm done!_ She had been working for hours trying to polish the corridor to it's shiny-brilliance that was expected. _Two more..._ The swirling quickened. _One more..._ And then it stopped. _Aha! Finished at last!_

She wiped the sweat from her brow and stood up to admire her work. After finding that she had done almost perfectly, she walked out of the black and white corridor and back into the maid's quarters.

"Miss Kelly! Miss Kelly!" Cinderella called as she neared Regina Kelly, the trainer of the maids. "Miss Kelly! I finished with my chores!"

Regina Kelly turned around, surprised, "Finished already, are we?"

"Yes, ma'am," Cinderella said respectfully, "I finished cleaning and waxing the corridor."

"Is it spotless?"

_Spotless?_ "Um, yes, ma'am."

"If I were to go into that corridor and check, would I be satisfied with your job?"

_What is she getting at? _"Yes, I believe so."

"Well, then," she said, while turning toward the corridor. "Let's find out how you did."

Regina Kelly smirked as she opened the door to the corridor. _She's going to kill me, I know it._ Cinderella followed behind her with her head looking down at her disgustingly ugly shoes. Regina held the door for Cinderella, and they both stepped inside.

"Well..." Regina Kelly paced the floor as Cinderella cringed. "It's..." She paused and walked around, inspecting, more, "It's... shiny, and..."

_Shiny? Of course it is! I just finished waxing it!_

"I..." Regina stuttered, "I think that you did a..." She paused and swallowed hard. "...good job."

_What?!_

Regina Kelly quickly walked out of the room, leaving Cinderella alone. She peeked her head from behind the door, "Um... You may... go to dinner, now. I believe that you did a _satisfactory_ job."

"Th-thank you!" Cinderella muttered in disbelief. She then tip-toed inside of the maid's quarters to her bed. She pulled out the old map and found the maids' dining hall, located a few rooms away. She fixed up her now messy braids in the mirror, then walked non-chalantly to dinner.

After traveling through musty rooms of storage, she entered the dining hall. Immediately, apon entering, she realized that she was in the wrong place. There, standing only a few feet infront of her, was the prince of the kingdom.


	7. It's Been Interesting

**Chapter 7: It's Been Interesting**

**((The title just about sums up my life for right now, too. I went to Disney World with my choir (second place over-all, woot!), have had finals, rehearsals with plays, I've written tons more on other stories, attended a three-week summer camp for gifted kids in Missouri, spent a week at my dad's house, and I've just generally had an extremely busy time. I hope that everyone out there has had less to do than me. Enjoy the next chapter. I really am sorry for the three month delay! -Lella))**

"Aha! A maid," said the prince, "just what I was looking for!" The prince handed a silver tray of delicious-looking cookies to Cinderella. "Would you take these back the kitchen, please?" Cinderella nodded and turned around with the tray as the prince threw an angry look at his father--the king.

_Oh my gosh! The king is here, too?!_ She quickly walked back into the room from which she had came, but she couldn't help but listen by the door to hear what was happening.

"Father, really, do you think that this is going to make up for anything?" the prince yelled angrily.

"Thomas! A ball is an excellant idea, and I'm most certainly not trying to throw a party to make up for lost time! I can't help the traveling that I have to do. I may have missed your 21st birthday, our hunting trip, and the Grande Party, but the trips that I took during that time where to better this kingdom. If I hadn't gone to visit King Atlanta, Bishop Milledgeville, and Queen Savanah, our kingdom could be at war right now! I'm sure that you must understand that."

"We weren't even fighting with them! You're such a liar! I don't want a ball, I don't want your excuses, and I don't want you partying with foreigners when your one-and-only son has an important event. I look ridiculous by myself at events where my father--the king--is supposed to speak! You promised me that you would have a speach ready for me by my birthday, but did that happen? No. I'm so sick of you!"

The king stood up in anger, "Don't you dare speak to me in such a manor! Not only am I your father, but I am the king. And as such, I demand the highest honor, integrity, and _respect_--especially from you." The prince walked away from his father and shoved a glass vase off the table, shattering it into a million peices. He stormed off into the garden, leaving his father behind.

The king shook his head in disgust and dabbed his handkerchief at his perspiring forhead. "Maids!" he called out. Cinderella's breath caught in her chest, and she set the tray on the ground before running into the room.

"Y...Yes?" she said as kindly as she could. _He'll know for sure that I was listening! Don't be nervous!_

"Oh, thank goodness. Can you clean this up?" He pointed to the shattered glass coving half of the room. Cinderella nodded her head quickly and reached for the broom that was in the corner of the room. The king took off without another word, and Cinderella was left alone with the glass, the broom, and her ugly shoes.

"I can't believe it..." she muttered to herslef, "Not only did my wish come true, I got a job at the castle, and I met the prince and king, but I also got to skip all my meals of the day, wear hideous shoes, clean up after the prince's mess, get terribly lost, and wax a floor for no pay. This is turning out to be the most weird and frustrating day of--"

Suddenly, a poof of smoke appeared infront of her, causing her to lose attention of her words. After the purple smoke twisted and curled around itself, her grandfather--or fairy godfather--was standing right there.

"Ah!" she shrieked in surprise.

"What? Scared of your own grandfather?" he joked. _Haha, very funny. I'm not laughing._

"Well, when you look like you're twenty, it's certainly a shock!"

"Yes, I suppose that it could be," he said non-chalantly, while picking at his nails. "So, you're probably wondering why I'm here."

"Just a little."

He smiled and snapped his fingers. Every glass shard picked up and rolled into a liquid glass. Using one finger as a wand, he shaped the glass into the vase and set it in place. The vase was whole. Not a scratch could be seen. It was perfect.

"How'd you do that?" Cinderella whispered in amazement.

"It's a little trick that I picked up when you were little. There's a reason that we always called you 'Clumsy-rella'." Cinderella rolled her eyes and put her fists on her hips.

"Oh yes!" he said, "You wanted to know why I'm here. Well, how's your wish working for you?"

"It's, um, interesting to say the least."

"Is it now?" he asked in a tone that finally reminded her of her grandfather. Something about that made her want to open up to him now.

"Yes! Oh, I've gotten lost, met the prince and king, cleaned things, met cooks who speak every language, worn horrible shoes, and skipped my lunch and dinner! It's been the most interesting of interesting days!" she cried out half in anger and half in sarcasm. "I just... hope that this job isn't _this_ everyday."

Her fairy godfather laughed and patted her on the back. "My dear, it will get better. Things always get better."

"Not always!"

"Yes, always. You just don't know it. Eventually, you'll laugh at these things with your friends. Oh! Speaking of which, your friend Marie dropped by the house today."

"She did?" Cinderella asked excitedly, "Did you tell her where I was?"

"Well, I wasn't going to, but it slipped. I told her that you had sold yourself--"

"What?!"

"--As... a maid," he said to fix the mistake. "I would never say such a horrible thing of my grand-daughter." He walked around the room, sparkling in the sun that drifted in through the windows. The sunset light made the room a comfortable orange cast.

"What did she say?" Cinderella whispered, somewhat afraid of the answer. _Will she hate me? She may never see me again after this--she probably will._

"Hah-ha! That's the good part! She wants to join you!"

"What?" _No way!_

"Yes way!"

"Stop reading my mind!" Cinderella whopped him with her broom as her mind reeled in with the thought of having her best-friend with her at work.

"Sorry! I don't mean to," he tried to convince.

"Yes you do."

He sighed, "Okay, you caught me. Maybe I do, but she's sending in an application to join you. Now, I'm not sure if she'll get in, but--"

Cinderella ran up to him and grabbed him by the jacket. "She **will** get in! You'll make sure of it, won't you?" She let him go slowly and took a step back. "You will assure her entry. You're able to do that." It was nearly a question. She hoped so bad, but didn't know for sure.

"Well, I suppose, but I don't want to abuse my powers."

"This wouldn't be that bad!" she cried in desperation.

"Not for you, but I must be terribly careful of what I do!" he said. Her eyes welled up with soft tears, and he shook his head, "Fine."

"Yes!" she yelled, jumping up and down.

Her fairy godfather held her down by the shoulders, "Hush! You must be a bit more quiet!"

Cinderella clasped her mouth shut, "Oh! Sorry!" She went back to a soft whisper. "Thank you, Grandfather." She gave him a hug before he sent her back to work. Through the corridor she went with the silver tray--off to find the maid's quarters, and maybe a little bit of dinner.


End file.
